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Accent
Every region of Landfall has a distinctive accent, and regional dialects can sometimes be so heavily accented that they are difficult for outsiders to understand. This is partly a result of the fact that the common language of the Green Cradle (Feldhasel Common) was imposed on the populace, by law, relatively recently by Neitsches the Conqueror during the Norst Conquest. Nonetheless, by unifying the disparate spoken and written languages of the Green Cradle, international trade has flourished and the people of Landfall have experienced a recent period of unprecedented prosperity and growth. Typically, merchants and nobles try to stifle their local accents, in favor of the homogenized Feldhasel Common. This facilitates trade and political negotiations, and is also a minor mark of status. Villagers, soldiers, and lower-class citizens typically have the strongest, most localized accents. Common Accents and Characteristics Feldhasel Common is the de facto standard "formal" accent of Landfall. The phonetic qualities of all other accents are typically considered in comparison to Feldhasel Common. This accent, if well-spoken, is understandable to all people of the Green Cradle. Nobles looking to appear cultured or well-traveled will practice their Feldhasel Common. The omniscient narrative voice of the Grim Dream series could be said to be in Feldhasel Common. Middle Bruhinnen is described by outsiders as a "cotton-mouthed" accent, with an overall lack of enunciation. It is relatively easy to understand. Arron Silverspear has a typical Middle Bruhinnen accent. Willowdown drawl is a southern dialect of Bruhinnen, with a more pronounced "cotton-mouthed" quality. At its thickest, it can be extremely difficult for outsiders to understand -- to the point of sounding like a foreign language. "Willowdillies," as they are called, also use many unique colloquial terms and colorful curses that are not used outside of rural Willowdown. The Peltober family has a typical Willowdown drawl, but Callandra Pelltober and Nurse Belladay emulated Middle Bruhinnen when in public. North Bruhinnen, also called Windlander, is a Middle Bruhinnen accent, but with many Jeceau characteristics, such as more fluid, less "cotton-mouthed" enunciation and higher, sharper vowel sounds. It is the dominant accent of Cloudport, the largest and northernmost city of Bruhinn. Archaically, it may be called Nylsian, in reference to the lost kingdom of Nylsia. Jeceau is described by outsiders as a "rolling" or "fluid" accent, spoken very quickly, with words often running together. It can be extremely difficult for outsiders to understand. Many native Jeceau speakers consider their accent and dialect a point of national pride, and they deliberately exaggerate their accent to exclude foreigners from conversations or to confuse them. Notably, Jeceau nobles are the only nobles who actively cultivate their accent, instead of trying to speak the more universally-understood Feldhasel Common. The Jeceau accent is strongest near the center of the former Jeceau Empire and grows weaker near the edges, bleeding into North Bruhinnen (southwest), Feldhaslen (south), and Ostergauen (southeast). Fiorah is a notable character with a thick Jeceau accent (though she has learned how to temper it to make her songs and performances easier to understand when traveling abroad). Ostergauen is described by outsiders as a distinctively "harsh" or "formal" accent in which the "f" sound is replaced with a "v" sound. It is a weak accent, and easy to understand. Most Ostergau nobles are capable of speaking perfect Feldhasel Common. Notably, the Ostergau accent exerts a strong regional influence and can be heard in neighboring states, such as Heschen-Auergau and Bau Trelling. Nimfaeti has a typical "commoner" Ostergau accent. Thlossian is similar to Bruhinnen, but with an even more exaggerated lack of enunciation. Vowels, in particular, are spoken softly, and sounds like "sh," "th," and "ff" are elongated. Nonetheless, it is easy for outsiders to understand. Thlossian nobles, as a matter of national pride, do not temper their accent. (similar to Jeceau nobles) Ail Elfin is the accent of elf-kin from Lo'ail Eilin. It is described by outsiders as slow, structured, and highly formal-sounding. As such, it is simple to understand. Children pretending to sound haughty or highly educated enjoy impersonating the Ail Elfin accent. Shaolei do not speak Feldhasel Common natively, and thus their accent can be thick and difficult to understand. Moreover, their choice of words and grammar may be unusual, too. The Shaolei accent varies depending on the speaker's native region, but it is usually described as "sharp" near the beginnings of words, with trailing drawn-out vowel sounds near the end of certain words. Shaolei speakers may also add unusual vowel sounds to convey emphasis or emotion. Some speakers may pronounce the "l" sound as an "r" sound. Overall, the accent is distinctive yet varied from person to person.